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THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1891.

The most serious check that the Heme Rule cause has yet received is in the In" explicable attitude of Mr Parnell. We had hoped that the cause wa3 greater than the man, and that forceful as his individualism was it must be brushed on one side by the imperious needß of a united people. But according to the cable news published yesterday morning Mr Parnell intends to hang to his position of leader of the Irish party while a shred of it remains loyal to him. After the O'Shea expoßure everyone who realised the potency of the feeling that upholds private worth and eschews all that is base naturally thought that Parnell would follow the example of Sir Charles Dilke. And all who wished well to the Home Rule cause were correspondingly disappointed when it was realised that Parnell did not intend, to do anything of the kind — that in fact he was resorting to all sorts of disreputable tactics to stave off the Inevitable and keep himself before the publio gaze, as a factor that was indispensable to the success of the cause. This may be tke result of egregious egotism or unbounded vanity, but the fact has to be met and dealt with in some way. It is quite clear that Parnell does not intend to offer himself as a sacrifice to his party or country. His actions at present therefore serve as a standard by which to sound the depth of his patriotism. He is evidently of opinion that whatever modicam of control over their looal affairs the Imperial Parliament may grant to the Irish people, it must come to them through the hands of Mr Parnell. This is absurd. It is a poor cause that haß no more truth and vitality in it than depend upon the .presence and character of one man, or any dozen of men, no matter how great they may be individually or col • lectively. The only real and well grounded hope that the Irish people have of obtaining the measure of domestic legislation that they aspire to, is in arousing the sentiment of the English people, who are seldom slow to do justice, when once their conscience is touched and claas interests are not powerful enough to Bmother it. The struggles to free the slaves in the West Indies and to allow the English people to get cheap bread were hard and bitter ; but the conscience of the nation triumphed, and the stream of ill-gotten gains of certain classes was stopped. In the same way the Home Rule demands of the people of Ireland have not been heard In vain, as is abundantly evinced by the result of the majority of the English byeelections ; so that there Is no doubt whatever that Home Rule for Ireland would be within measurable distance if it were not for the perverse and extraordinary conduct of Mr Parnell, who will not efface himself voluntarily nor allow himself to be extinguished or superseded by a majority of his party, and the section that o;rtainly contains the ablest men within it. We will draw no comparison as to their earnestness ; it 1b at least as sincere and enthusiastic as that of the Parnellite section. It is only because the anti-Par-nellltes value the cause more than they do the man that they are now opposing his leadership. They were even prepared to condone his social offence, as society has done with a personality much more august than Parnell inay' ever hope to be, had the English Liberals been inclined to wink at the escapade, which, happily, they were not. They could not well do so after Dilke'a scandal and having as a leader a gentleman the purity of whose social life is as distinguished as it is unassuming. Mr Gladstone declined to be a party in any way in countenancing Mr Parnell'a delinquency, and the great Liberal party of England quietly, but none the less emphatically, endorsed his, action. That settled the cause of Home Rule, so long at least as Mr Parnell would Insist upon being its mouthpiece in the English Parliameut ; and so long as he continues to prevaricate and Intrigue with the object of retaining the position of leader the cause of which he was so long the distinguished. hea<i, and to which he rendered such valuable services, must remain in the back ground, and until circumstances alter the situation. The key to the position is possessed by the anti-Parnellites. It is only necessary that they shall remain staunch to the English- Liberals, upon whom they rely in every emergency, to weary out the efforts of Mr Parnell and- his blindly loyal and misguided following. The time that he is so erratically striving to obtain will yet prove to be his greatest scourge. While the struggle'goes on the people will have the more opportunity to think ; and with bo conspicuously moral a people as the Irish the result of their reflections is not likely to be in Mr Parnell'a favor. On the contrary, they are more' likely, to realise the contrast between the greatness and justice of the cause and the insignificance of the man who forced it to the front. It is a great pity that Mr Parnell does not realise his own nothingness as compared with the magnitude of ttie issue at stake and quietly withdraw. He ia too shrewd and observant a man not to know that there are at least a dozen men In the party— and an exceptionally large average of able men It contains — who are quite his equal In parliamentary ability, and in some respects hia saperiora. During the many mysterious absences of the Irish leader from the ken of his party, they often showed that they were in no way dependant upon him for advice in chalking out a course to follow in any emer- J gency that might arise. The Plan of Campaign was devised without the knowledge of Mr Parnell, who has never given it more than a half-hearted support. Numerous other instances might be cited in which Mr Parnell left his party without the advice and assistance they so much valued and which they had a right to expect to be at the service of the party at all times. Men should not place a leader on i

so high a pedestal as Parnell occupied without a corresponding return. In the present circumstances therefore it will be better for the majority of the party to allow Home Rule to stand in abeyance until Mr Parnell plays himself out. He is quite unmanageable at present, but in a few months he will be merely the leader of a veritable fragment of the united party he so long led. Parnell must go. [Since the above waß written we are informed by cable that Mr Parnell has closed all negotiations regarding the leadership of the party, which is quite of a piece with his actions of late.]

The electric cable is rather an Inconvenient appendage of society for evil doers, as Messrs Trahey and Troy have had cause to reflect. It will probably interest their creditors to learn that both of these gentlemen have been arrested at Hobart and duly lodged in gaol to await the arrival of a New Zealand constable to escort them safely back to this colony. Constable Watt will be despatched by the first convenient boat charged with the duty of bringing back the abscondera. Amongst their creditors are Messrs Jones and Hannan, which may have had something to do with the prompt way in which their little excursion to foreign parts has been summarily interrupted. A very large sum is also due to Mr Kinsella, storekeeper, of the Blackball, for stores. A considerable sum of money was tound on one of the pair, and it is affirmed that the other must be equally well equipped financially. It i 3 reported that the miners working up Cook's rivor are meeting with excellent returns. Holsten and party, who have been working in that locality for some time expect to get 100 ounces from the paddock they are now taking out. — W. C. Times. We learn that the Rev. J. E. W. Honywill, curate of Grey Valley, will Bhortly be leaving for England. Mr Honywill has been in charge for the last three years, arid during that time has done good work. He has succeeded in restoring "All Saints" church, Nelson Creek, and has put the finishing touch on St Andrew's church, Ahaura, while the district has been so completely worked that no gronp of settlers cr miners over this wide area have been outside the influence of his services, there being no fewer thon fourteen centres at which services are regularly held. The appointment of Mr Honywill to the curacy of the Grey Valley was a distinct advance on the part of the church, the Grey Valley being previously worked from Brunner. The result has fully justified the forward movement, and the departure of Mr Honywill will be much regretted by the numerons congregations to whom he has ministered. The rev gentleman will be leaving Qreymouth to proceed by the P. & O. steamer Paramatta. We wish him a pleasant journey and a long period of usefulness in the old country. Fireworks for the new year should ba ordered early to secure. Forsyth and Masters, importers — Advt. In a speech at Dublin the other day, Mr Parnell said : — " This movement against roe depends upon testimony of which only one side has been heard. Do you think there is no other side % My defence will be known aome day. I could not come amongst you and look you in the face, as Ido to-night, did I not know that there is another side to this question, as to every other question, and that you will wait and hear the other side before you decide that I am too unworthy to walk with you, even within sight of this promised land which, please God, I will enter with you." The annual meeting of the Grey Rifle Club will be held this evening at the Post Office Hotel. G. W. Moss and Co will sell by auction this day, at the rooms, fruit, &c. E. P. ware, cutlery, &c, for presents* Forsyth and] Masters have the be3t as sot tment. — Advt. Travelling trunks. Forsyth and Mas TEiis are the cheapest. — Advt. On Saturday next and following two weeks, Christopher Smith will offer the whole of his well-selected stock of drapery and clothing at prices that will astonish the public. Those who doubt his word should call and see the goods ticketed up at the door. All goods marked in plain figures. — Advt.. Miners will find Forsyth and Masters the cheapest for all their requirements. — Advt. Mr Greenwood, Dentist, will re-visit Greymouth in March. — Advt. Prime English York hams, from London bj last direct steamer. Griffen and Smith, Beehive Stores. — Advt.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/GRA18910213.2.4

Bibliographic details

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6986, 13 February 1891, Page 2

Word Count
1,832

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1891. Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6986, 13 February 1891, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus. PUBLISHED DAILY. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1891. Grey River Argus, Volume XXXIX, Issue 6986, 13 February 1891, Page 2